What Comes Alive in the Cards: When Intuition Lights the Way

Sometimes, a card lays itself down and something grabs you — but it’s not the usual thing.

Not the keyword.
Not the suit.
Not the number.

It might be the way a character turns their head.
Or a doorway, half-hidden behind a curtain.
A raven tucked into the clouds.
The key laying on a table amongst scattered books and other things.

And suddenly, there’s a pull in your chest that says this is the part that matters today.

I’ve always loved decks like The Akashic Tarot by Sharon Anne Klingler and Sandra Anne Taylor & The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott — not because of how closely they follow tradition, but because they don’t. They invite you to look. To notice. To lean into your intution. The imagery itself becomes the message. And sometimes, that message has absolutely nothing to do with the “right” interpretation.

These kinds of decks feel so much easier to read intuitively.

The imagery speaks in emotions and real-life moments, not just old symbols you’re need to memorise.
Compared to traditionally illustrated Rider-Waite style decks — which can sometimes feel like you have to recall the "right" meaning — these modern, full-scene decks invite you to trust what you feel first.
You’re not decoding. You’re responding. That’s where the reading comes alive.

And honestly? I think that’s where the magic is.

What Comes Alive is Personal — and Powerful

Your eye is drawn to something for a reason. It may not be logical, but intuition rarely is. The part of the card that comes alive is like a small tap on the shoulder. A quiet nudge: look here.

The beauty of reading tarot this way is that no two readers will pick the same thing. The same card can speak a hundred different ways depending on who’s looking — and that’s not a flaw. That’s the entire point.

When you follow what comes alive for you, you’re building your style. Your relationship with your deck. Your way of reading.

No one else needs to see it. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you and the person you’re reading for.

Imagery is Intuitive Language

You don’t need to decode every symbol or look up every element. Imagery bypasses logic and lands in the gut.
What you notice first often mirrors something going on beneath the surface — an emotion, a memory, an energy that’s rising.

Here’s a little secret I’ve learned through practice:
Sometimes the “wrong” meaning is the right message.

If the Queen of Swords shows up, but all I can see is the clouded sky behind her — that becomes the reading.
If the 8 of Wands appears but the only thing catching my attention is the stillness instead of the movement? That’s a message, too.

The card has done its job by holding space for that insight to come forward.

A Note for the Rule-Followers

If you’re someone who clings tightly to meanings and wants to “do it right,” this might feel unsettling.
You might think, But what if I misread? What if I miss the meaning?

Here’s a gentle reminder:
You can’t miss what’s meant to come through.

The cards are tools. The meaning comes through you.
And if what you’re receiving doesn’t line up with what the book says — trust your version. You’re not wrong. You’re reading with your whole self.

Let What Comes Alive Speak First

Try this the next time you pull a card:
Don’t rush to the guidebook.
Don’t scan for symbols you should notice.

Just pause and ask yourself:
What comes alive for me in this image?
What meaning does this image/object have for me?
How does that make me feel?
What could that be saying right now?

You might be surprised how clearly your cards speak when you stop trying to figure them out and start listening.

Because really — your style isn’t built on how well you memorise meanings.
It’s shaped by the details you notice, the stories you hear in the art, the way your intuition lights up when something just feels important.

And if you ask me? That’s where your real magic lives.


Happy Tarot Adventures,
May your eyes find the stories waiting to come alive.
Gwen ✧ Light Seekers Tarot

P.S. Try this out with the featured image above.
What's the first thing that you notice (it can be anything at all)?
What meaning does that object have for you?
How does that meaning resonate for you in this moment or in your life right now?

Updated June 2025